HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Data All Versions of this Article: 2007-0710v1 26/2/525    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints/Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Xia, X. Articles by Zhang, S.-C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Xia, X. Articles by Zhang, S.-C.

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

In Vitro- and In Vivo-Induced Transgene Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Derivatives

^aWiCell Research Institute, Madison, Wisconsin, USA;
^bDepartments of Anatomy and Neurology, School of Medicine and Public Health, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Key Words. Human embryonic stem cell • Gene modification • Gene delivery systems in vivo or in vitro • Inducible gene expression

Correspondence: Su-Chun Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA. Telephone: 608-265-2543; Fax: 608-263-5267; e-mail: Zhang{at}waisman.wisc.edu

Received August 26, 2007; accepted for publication November 13, 2007.
First published online in STEM CELLS EXPRESS   November 21, 2007.



The use of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as a research and therapeutic tool will be facilitated by conditional gene expression. Here, we report drug-induced transgene expression, both in vitro and in vivo, from a tet-on hESC line with >95% purity. Using green fluorescent protein as an indicator, we demonstrated that the tet-on system allowed a tight control of the gene expression in both undifferentiated hESCs and differentiated cells of the three germ layers. More importantly, after the cells were transplanted into animals, the gene expression remained to be regulated by an orally administered drug. These results provide a technical basis for regulation of gene expression in hESCs and derivatives in vitro and in vivo.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.